Prime Minister Mark Carney said it is “totally unacceptable” that members of the Israeli army fired warning shots this week near a delegation that included four Canadians.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) fired shots near the group while they were touring the city of Jenin in the West Bank on May 21, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. No one was injured in the incident, the IDF said.
Anand said she is “relieved” the team was safe. She did not release the identities of the Canadians in the group.
“I have asked my officials to summon Israel’s Ambassador to convey Canada’s serious concerns. We expect a full investigation and accountability,” she said in a May 21 social media post.
Carney commented on the incident during an unrelated news conference on May 21.
“It is the responsibility of the Israeli ambassador to provide an explanation to us, and it is the responsibility of the Israeli government to provide an explanation for this,” he said.
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A video of the incident circulating online shows some individuals from the tour group speaking to cameras near a large yellow gate. Gunshots are heard as the group moves away from the gate and around a street corner.
A statement from the IDF said the delegation “deviated” from an approved route and warning shots were fired to prevent the group from entering an area that was off-limits. The IDF said it “regrets the inconvenience” caused by the incident.
The Israeli army has launched an investigation into the events that transpired and promised to speak with the diplomats involved to provide them with updates on the findings.
Joint Statement
Canada recently signed a joint statement with the United Kingdom and France that said the countries would impose “targeted sanctions” on Israel, citing the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The statement said it opposed Israeli settlements in the West Bank and also called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The letter also called on Hamas to “immediately” release the hostages the group has held since the terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the letter in a May 19 social media post, saying that asking his country to end a “defensive war for our survival” was equivalent to offering “a huge prize” for the Oct. 7 attack and would invite “more such atrocities.”
Hamas, which Canada has listed as a terrorist entity, said it welcomed the joint letter, calling it “a significant step in the right direction.”
Washington Shooting
Canadian officials on May 22 issued notes of sympathy after two Israeli embassy staffers in the United States were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on the night of May 21. The FBI is calling the shooting a terrorist act.
Officials have said a man approached a group of people leaving the museum and shot at them. The suspect, who has been identified as Elias Rodriguez, allegedly yelled “free Palestine” as he was being arrested, according to Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith.
The two victims were identified by officials as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American citizen.
Carney said he was “devastated and appalled” by the death of the two.
“This was a targeted attack against the Jewish community — a violent act of antisemitism. This hate is intolerable, and I condemn it in the strongest terms,” he said in a May 22 social media post.
“My prayers are with Yaron and Sarah, their grieving loved ones, and the entire Jewish community.”
Anand called it a “horrific crime.”
“My thoughts are with the families of the victims, their colleagues and the Jewish community. Antisemitism and the violence and fear it brings are beyond deplorable and must stop,” she said in an X post.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he was “heartbroken and outraged” by the shooting.
“These two innocent souls had lives of promise – lives that were cut short when they were targeted and killed, simply because they were Jewish,” he said in an X post.
Poilievre described anti-Semitism as “the world’s most enduring form of hatred.”
“May we honour Yaron and Sarah’s memory by ensuring we do everything we can to stop this evil,” he said.
The Canadian Press and Jack Phillips contributed to this article.
